Summary

The chapter details the photodegradation of polymers in general describing the theory and mechanistic pathways. It then details the photodegradation of polymers containing metal-to-metal bonding in the polymer backbone with the eventual aim of using metal-containing polymers to assist in the degradation of non-metal containing polymers. The photodegradation of several polymers is described and mechanism developed for degradation in both bulk and solution. It also describes the synthesis of these metal-metal polymers and the effect of photodegradation on the physical properties of the polymer.